Mr. SPECTER. Fine--just put "wound of exit--actual size" and put your
initials under it.
(The witness, Dr. Shaw, complied with request of Counsel Specter.)
Mr. SPECTER. Let the record show that Dr. Shaw has marked "wound of
exit--actual size" with his initials R.R.S. on the diagram 1.
Now, looking at diagram 2, Dr. Shaw, does the angle of declination on
the figure correspond with the angle that the bullet passed through
Governor Connally's chest?
Dr. SHAW. It does.
Mr. SPECTER. Is there any feature of diagram 3 which is useful in
further elaborating that which you have commented about on diagram 1?
Dr. SHAW. No. Again off the record?
Mr. SPECTER. All right, off the record.
(Discussion between Counsel Specter and the witness, Dr. Shaw, off the
record.)
Mr. SPECTER. You have just commented off the record, Dr. Shaw, that
the wound of entry is too large proportionately to the wound of exit,
but aside from that, is there anything else on diagram 3 which will be
helpful to us?
Dr. SHAW. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Is there anything else on diagram 4 which would be helpful
by way of elaborating that which appeared on diagram 2?
Dr. SHAW. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Now as to the treatment or operative procedure which you
performed on Governor Connally, would you now describe what you did for
him?
Dr. SHAW. As soon as anesthesia had been established and an
endotracheal tube was in place so that respiration could be controlled
with positive pressure, the large occlusive dressing which had been
applied in the emergency room was removed. This permitted better
inspection of the wound of exit, air passed to and fro through the
damaged chest wall, there was obvious softening of the bony framework
of the chest wall as evidenced by exaggerated motion underneath the
skin along the line of the trajectory of the missile.
The skin of the chest wall axilla and back were thoroughly cleaned and
aseptic solution was applied for further cleaning of the skin, the
whole area was draped so as to permit access to both the wound of exit
and the entrance wound. Temporarily, the wound of entrance was covered
with a sterile towel.
First an elliptical incision was made to remove the ragged edges of the
wound of exit. This incision was then extended laterally and upward in
a curved direction so as to not have the incision through the skin and
subcutaneous tissue directly over the line of the trajectory of the
bullet where the chest had been softened.
It was found that approximately 10 cm. of the fifth rib had been
shattered and the rib fragments acting as secondary missiles had been
the major contributing factor to the damage to the anterior chest wall
and to the underlying lung.
Mr. SPECTER. What do you mean, Doctor, by the words "fragments acting
as secondary missiles"?
Dr. SHAW. When bone is struck by a high velocity missile it fragments
and acts much like bowling pins when they are struck by a bowling
ball--they fly in all directions.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you continue now and further describe the treatment
which you performed?
Dr. SHAW. The bony fragments were removed along with all obviously
damaged muscle. It was found that the fourth and fifth intercoastal
muscle bundles were almost completely intact where the rib had been
stripped out. There was damage to the latissimus dorsi muscle, but
this was more in the way of laceration, so that the damage could be
repaired by suture. The portion of parietal pleura which had not been
torn by the injury was opened along the length of the resected portion
of the fifth rib. The jagged ends of the fifth rib were cleaned with
a rongeur; approximately 200 cc. of clot and liquid blood was removed
from the pleura cavity; inspection of the lung revealed that the middle
lobe had a long tear which separated the lobe into approximately two
equal segments. This tear extended up into the hilum of the lobe, but
had not torn a major bronchus or a major blood vessel. The middle
lobe was repaired with a running No. 3 O chromic gut approximating
the tissue of the depths of the lobe, with two sutures, and then
approximating the visceral pleura on both the medial and lateral
surface with a running suture of the same material--same gut.
Upon repair of the lobe it expanded well upon pressure on the
anesthetic bag with very little in the way of peripheral leak.
Attention was next turned to the lower lobe. There was a large hematoma
in the anterior basal segment of the right lower lobe extending on into
the median basal segment. At one point there was a laceration in the
surface of the lobe approximating a centimeter in length, undoubtedly
caused by one of the penetrating rib fragments. A single mattress
suture No. 3 O chromic gut on an atromitac needle was used to close
this laceration from which blood was oozing.
Next, the diaphragm and all parts of the right mediastinum was examined
but no injury was found.
The portion of the drainage tube which had already been placed in
the second interspace in the anterior axillary line which protruded
into the chest was cut away, since it was deemed to be longer than
necessary. A second drainage tube was placed through a stab wound in
the eighth interspace in the posterior axillary line and both of these
tubes were connected to a water sealed bottle. The fourth and fifth
intercoastal muscle bundles were then approximated with interrupted
sutures of No. O chromic gut.
The remaining portion of the serratus anterior muscle was then
approximated across the closure of the intercostal muscles. The
laceration at the latissimus dorsi muscle was then approximated with
No. O chromic guts suture. Before closing the skin and subcutaneous
tissue a stab wound approximately 2 cm. in length was made near the
lower tip of the right scapula and a latex rubber drain was drawn up
through this stab wound to drain subscapular space. This drain was
marked with a safety pin. The subcutaneous tissue was then closed with
interrupted sutures of No. O chromic gut, inverting the knots. The skin
was closed with interrupted vertical mattress sutures of black silk.
Attention was next turned to the wound of entrance. The skin
surrounding the wound was removed in an elliptical fashion, enlarging
the incision to approximately 3 cm. Examination of the depths of this
wound reveal that the latissimus dorsi muscle alone was injured, and
the latex rubber drain could be felt immediately below the laceration
in the muscle. A single mattress suture was used to close the
laceration in the muscle. The skin was then closed with interrupted
vertical mattress sutures of black silk. The drainage tubes going into
the pleura cavity were then secured with safety pins and adhesive tape
and a dressing applied to the entire incision. This concluded the
operation for the wound of the chest, and at this point Dr. Gregory and
Dr. Shires entered the operating room to care for the wounds of the
right wrist and left thigh.
Mr. SPECTER. What did you observe, Dr. Shaw, as to the wound of the
right wrist?
Dr. SHAW. Well, I would have to say that my observations are probably
not accurate. I knew that the wound of the wrist had fractured the
lower end of the right radius and I saw one large wound on the--I
guess you would call it the volar surface of the right arm and a small
wound on the dorsum of the right wrist.
Mr. SPECTER. Which appeared to you to be the point of entrance, Dr.
Shaw?
Dr. SHAW. To me, I felt that the wound of entrance was the wound on the
volar surface or the anterior surface with the hand held in the upright
or the supine position, with the wound of exit being the small wound on
the dorsum.
Mr. SPECTER. What were the characteristics of those wounds which led
you to that conclusion?
Dr. SHAW. Although the wound of entrance, I mean, although the wound
that I felt was a wound of entrance was the larger of the two, it was
my feeling that considering the large wound of exit from the chest,
that this was consistent with the wound that I saw on the wrist. May we
go off the record?
Mr. SPECTER. Sure.
(Discussion between Counsel Specter and the witness Dr. Shaw off the
record.)
Mr. SPECTER. Now, let's go back on the record.
Dr. SHAW. I'll start by saying that my examination of the wrist was a
cursory one because I realized that Dr. Gregory was going to have the
responsibility of doing what was necessary surgically for this wrist.
Mr. SPECTER. Had you conferred with him preliminarily to starting your
operation on the chest so that you knew he would be standing by, I
believe as you testified earlier, to perform the wrist operation?
Dr. SHAW. Yes--Dr. Gregory was in the hallway of the operating room
before I went in to operate on Governor Connally and while I was
scrubbing preparatory to the operation, I told him that there was a
compound comminuted fracture of the radius of the Governor's right hand
that would need his attention.
Mr. SPECTER. Let the record show that while we were off the record
here a moment ago, Dr. Shaw, you and I were discussing the possible
angles at which the Governor might have been sitting in relation
to a trajectory of a bullet consistent with the observations which
you recollect and consistent with what seems to have been a natural
position for the Governor to have maintained, in the light of your view
of the situation. And with that in mind, let me resume the questioning
and put on the record very much of the comments and observations
you were making as you and I were discussing off the record as this
deposition has proceeded.
Now, you have described a larger wound on the volar or palm side of the
wrist than was present on the dorsal or back side of the wrist, and you
have expressed the opinion that it was the point of entry on the volar
side of the wrist as opposed to a point of exit on the back side of the
wrist, even though as you earlier said, ordinarily the point of entry
is smaller and the point of exit is larger.
Now, will you repeat for the record, Dr. Shaw, the thinking--your
thinking which might explain a larger point of entry and a smaller
point of exit on the wrist.
Dr. SHAW. Yes. As a matter of fact, when I first examined Governor
Connally's wrist, I did not notice the small wound on the dorsum of
the wrist and only saw the much larger wound on the radial side of the
volar surface of the wrist. I didn't know about the second small wound
until I came in when Dr. Gregory was concluding his operation on the
wrist. He informed me that there was another small wound through the
skin through which a missile had obviously passed.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, which wound was that, Dr. Shaw?
Dr. SHAW. This was the wound on the dorsum or the dorsal surface of the
wrist.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you then observe that wound?
Dr. SHAW. Yes; I saw this wound.
Mr. SPECTER. And where was that wound located to the best of your
recollection?
Dr. SHAW. This wound was slightly more distal on the arm than the
larger wound and located almost in the midportion of the dorsum of the
wrist.
Mr. SPECTER. Would that correspond with this location which I read from
Dr. Gregory's report on the dorsal aspect of the right wrist over the
junction of the distal fourth of the radius and shaft approximately 2
cm. in length.
Dr. SHAW. The wound was approximately 2 cm. in length?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes; would that correspond with the wound which you
observed?
Dr. SHAW. Yes; I saw it at the time that he was closing it and that
would correspond with the wound I observed.
Mr. SPECTER. He has described that as what he concluded to be the wound
of entry on the dorsal aspect of the right wrist, but your thought was
that perhaps that was the wound of exit?
Dr. SHAW. Yes; in trying to reconstruct the position of Governor
Connally's body, sitting in the jump seat of the limousine, and the
attitude that he would assume in turning to the right--this motion
would naturally bring the volar surface of the right wrist in contact
with the anterior portion of the right chest.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, is your principal reason for thinking that the wound
on the dorsal aspect is a wound of exit rather than a wound of entry
because of what you consider to be the awkward position in having the
dorsal aspect of the wrist either pointing upward or toward the chest?
Dr. SHAW. Yes, I think I am influenced a great deal by the fact that in
trying to assume this position, I can't comfortably turn my arm into
a position that would explain the wound of the dorsal surface of the
wrist as a wound of entrance, knowing where the missile came out of the
chest and assuming that one missile caused both the chest wound and the
arm wound.
Mr. SPECTER. Might not then that conclusion be affected if you discard
the assumption that one missile caused all the wounds?
Dr. SHAW. Yes, if two missiles struck the Governor, then it would not
be necessary to assume that the larger wound is the wound of entrance.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, would not another explanation for the presence of
a wound on the dorsal aspect of the wrist be if the Governor were
sitting in an upright position on the jump seat with his arm resting
either on an arm rest inside the car or on a window of the car with the
elbow protruding outward, and as he turned around, turning in a rotary
motion, his wrist somewhat toward his body so that it was present in an
angle of approximately 45 degrees to his body, being slightly moving
toward his body.
Dr. SHAW. Well, I myself, am not able to get my arm into that position.
If the wound, as I assume to be in the midportion of the forearm
here and the wound of exit would be here (illustrating) I can't get
my arm into that position as to correspond to what we know about the
trajectory of the bullet into the chest.
Mr. SPECTER. Assuming that the bullet through the chest then also went
through the wrist?
Dr. SHAW. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, aside from the trajectory and the explanation of one
bullet causing all the damage and focusing just on the nature of the
wound on the wrist, what conclusion would you reach as to which was the
point of entrance and which was the point of exit?
Dr. SHAW. I would feel that the wound on the volar surface of the wrist
was the wound of entrance and that perhaps the bullet being partially
spent by its passage through the chest wall, struck the radius,
fragmenting it, but didn't pass through the wrist, and perhaps tumbled
out into the clothing of Governor Connally with only a small fragment
of this bullet passing on through the wrist to go out into the left
thigh.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, would that be consistent with a fragment passing
through the wrist which was so small that virtually the entire missile,
or 158 grains of it, would remain in the central missile?
Dr. SHAW. Yes. The wound on the volar surface, I'm sorry, on the dorsum
of the wrist and the wound in the thigh which was obviously a wound of
entrance, since the fragment is still within the thigh, were not too
dissimilar in size.
Mr. SPECTER. Was the wound in the thigh itself, that is, aside from the
size of the fragment which remains in the leg, as small as the hole on
the dorsal aspect of the wrist?
Dr. SHAW. My memory is that the wound in the thigh through the skin was
about the same as the mound on the skin of the dorsum of the wrist, but
I didn't make an accurate observation at the time.
Mr. SPECTER. Would your thinking on that be affected any if I informed
you that Dr. Shires was of the view and had the recollection that the
wound on the thigh was much larger than a hole accounted for by the
size of fragments which remained in the femur.
Dr. SHAW. Of course, Dr. Shires actually treated and closed this
wound, but since this wound was made through the skin in a tangential
manner----
Mr. SPECTER. Now, you are referring to the wound of the thigh?
Dr. SHAW. I am referring to the wound of the thigh--was made in a
tangential manner, it did not go in at a direct right angle, the slit
in the skin in the thigh could be considerably longer than the actual
size of the missile itself, because this is a sharp fragment that would
make a cutting--it would cause a laceration rather than a puncture
wound.
Mr. SPECTER. So, the hole in the thigh would be consistent with a very
small fragment in the femur?
Dr. SHAW. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, a moment ago I asked you what would be your opinion
as to the point of entry and the point of exit based solely on the
appearances of the holes on the dorsal and volar aspects of the wrist,
and you responded that you still thought, or that you did think that
the volar aspect was the point of entry with the additional thought
that the missile might not have gone through the wrist, but only a
fraction having gone through the wrist--now, my question is in giving
that answer, did you consider at that time the hypothesis that the
wound on the wrist was caused by the same missile which went through
the Governor's chest, or was that answer solely in response to the
characteristics of the wound on the wrist alone?
Dr. SHAW. I have always felt that the wounds of Governor Connally could
be explained by the passage of one missile through his chest, striking
his wrist and a fragment of it going on into his left thigh. I had
never entertained the idea that he had been struck by a second missile.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, focusing for just a minute on the limited question
of the physical characteristics of the wounds on the wrist, if you had
that and nothing more in this case to go on, what would your opinion be
as to which point was entry and which point was exit?
Dr. SHAW. Ordinarily, we usually find the wound of entrance is smaller
than the wound of exit. In the Governor's wound on the wrist, however,
if the wound on the dorsum of the wrist is the wound of entrance, and
this large missile passed directly through his radius, I'm not clear as
to why there was not a larger wound of exit than there was.
Mr. SPECTER. You mean on the volar aspect?